Blood, Tears and Gold
by Queen of Peasants
Summary: It was tough carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was tougher carrying the weight of her heart in his palms. From love grief thrives, yet they still plunged head-in. Sasuke/OC.
1. Chapter 1 - The Beginning and The End

**Blood, Tears and Gold**

_A Naruto fanfiction by Queen of Peasants_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I'd be rich and living a good life if I do. The title of the story, "Blood, Tears and Gold", is the title of a wonderful song by Hurts, an awesome duo. Do check them out.

* * *

**Chapter 1 - The Beginning and The End**

_Dear citizens of Konohagakure,_

_My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm greatly honoured to stand here today as your seventh Hokage, leader of Konoha. Your support and faith in me is greatly appreciated, and I cannot find words proper to express the amount of gratitude I feel. This is a dream come true, and I would not have made it here without you._

_If we follow the routine of the traditional ceremony, I would have to read the village protocol now. But I find that unnecessary, even more unnecessary than the three minutes you have to wait for ramen to cook. You all know the protocol deep in your hearts, and I just became Hokage five minutes ago, so there hasn't been any change made to the system yet. There will be changes made soon, of course, like how I plan to insert Sexy Jutsu into the Academy syllabus. Just kidding. But that's not important for now._

_Instead of reading that boring scroll of rules, I'm going to talk about dreams. Everyone has dreams. Mine came true today. Maybe yours will come true tomorrow. But our dreams are not important in this speech. We have a lifetime to achieve them. Some people never got that chance._

_I'm speaking of those who gave up their lives so we can stand where we are today. I'm speaking of those who threw away everything they had so we have a future. I'm speaking of those who broke their own hearts in exchange for our happiness._

_It should be clear by now that I'm dedicating this speech in memory to the heroes of Konoha, of the Shinobi World. But I'm not talking about the heroes who had their names etched onto the war memorials and into the people's hearts. I'm talking about a different kind of heroes. They gave up their lives for the better good of the world, too. But they will never be acknowledged for their deeds._

_In fact, they are hated upon by most. Many of you whisper their names with so much hatred, and children will never look up to them. They are the S-ranked missing-nins, the Akatsuki, the ones in the village bingo books. They are the so-called criminals. But what right do we have to call them that? We don't know their stories. Nobody will ever know their stories, for almost none of them stand alive today, and the few who do are either missing or under heavy guard. But I have gathered bits and pieces from here and there, and I saw with my own eyes how some "criminals" gave up everything to protect Konoha.__  
_

_Hear for yourself today, the unbiased story of the unsung heroes, and maybe your mindset will change. We call them criminals to identify ourselves with, to secretly envy and stoutly punish. They did for us the forbidden and illegal things we secretly wished to do, but had no courage to. They are the scapegoats of our sins. They are the people who were bold enough to follow what their hearts told them to do. They ventured down the dark path to seek for the light, even though they knew it would someday cost them their lives. They not only believed in a better world, they searched for it, and they've achieved it, though they knew they would never live to see it._

_We call them criminals, but at the end of the day, we are the real sinners. They killed, they tortured, true that. But how many of you shinobi here have never spilled any blood? You believe that those you exterminated were the ones who were wrong, the ones who stood in the way of a better tomorrow. But they believed the same thing. They are just the same as us, if not greater, for they knew they would never be honoured, yet still went down the unbeaten path._

_They made mistakes. But don't we all? We accuse them of having no moral foundations. But we are wrong. We are all wrong._

* * *

The sky was as dark when it began as it was when it ended.

A cloaked figure left the gates of Suna early one morning, while the sun was still low beyond the horizon, and hurried its way across the sand dunes that guarded the hidden country of the wind. By noon the blaring desert sun would be too harsh for anyone not used to the Suna heat to cross, and the cloaked shinobi had no time to spare. The Hokage had sent his words, and they were urgent.

"The boy is now a shinobi. Your help is needed. Come back immediately."

The message was short and vague, but its meaning was understood immediately, so the ninja set off at once towards the Land of the Fire.

That was how it started, on a dark morning, amongst the dry sand and cold wind of Suna, set off by a lonely soul who had nothing much to lose.

* * *

While our cloaked shinobi was travelling across the desert, a certain blonde was, for once, not dreaming about ramen. The day marked his first as a shinobi, and he would soon find out who his team-mates and sensei were. How he longed to be grouped together with the ever beautiful Sakura-chan! Maybe she would get over her childish infatuation with the emo Uchiha and fall for him instead.

The sun was just rising, but he was already dressed and ready, with his brand new forehead protector fastened. He would head to the academy early and take a long route so the villagers would be able to see the shiny piece of metal on his forehead. He would leave them all in awe!

Naruto whistled happily and cheered to himself. The good life was starting.

* * *

Four hours later, half of the morning enthusiasm had burnt out. Sakura was indeed placed in his team, but so was the stormy Sasuke Uchiha. What a mood killer! On top of that, their sensei was more than three hours late.

Bored, Naruto slotted a blackboard eraser between the sliding door and its frame. If the sensei's reflex is as off-track as his sense of time, they would surely have something to laugh at.

Sakura snorted. "A Jounin isn't going to fall for that."

Just then, the door slid open, and the eraser dropped straight onto the poor ninja who had poked his head through.

Naruto burst out laughing while Sakura looked horrified - he was their teacher for heaven's sake!

'Sensei! It was all Naruto's fault! Sasuke-kun and I didn't do anything!"

The white-haired ninja sighed. Did these kids not know anything about a first impression? That jinchuuriki seemed extremely hard to handle. The pink-haired girl was overly enthusiastic. And the black-haired boy must be the last Uchiha. The jounin sighed again. His job just got a thousand times harder.

"Seems like I'm unfortunate enough to get you lot. But I'll let the eraser incident go since it's the first day. Let's start by introducing ourselves. We can share our likes, dislikes, dreams and goals. Pretty much anything you want to share."

"But you! You are three hours late!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at his new sensei.

"Well, I was lost on the path of life. Since no one seems willing to start the introduction, I'll do it." The Jounin leaned lazily against the door and adjusted his forehead protector which fell across his left eye. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. Jounin. I like certain things, dislike certain things, have a few dreams, and... Well, I don't feel like telling you guys my goals."

The three genins raised their eyebrows. The masked ninja had told them nothing but his name and rank. What kind of mysterious man did they get as their sensei?

Sakura went next. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like a certain someone," she glanced at Sasuke and blushed, "and dislike Naruto. My dream is to make that certain someone like me and my goal is pretty much the same thing."

This time it was Kakashi's turn to raise his eyebrows. Somebody's got boy issues.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen! But I dislike the three minutes it takes for the ramen to cook. My goal is to become the Hokage someday and earn the respect of the people!"

Kakashi nodded and hid the small smile that was forming on his face. This was not the first time he had heard of the jinchuuriki's ambitious goal. It was understandable, living through a childhood as horrible as Naruto's, alienated and ignored by the villagers. It was no wonder that he yearned for their acknowledgement.

Sasuke went last. He spoke with an emotionless voice and an emotionless face. But Kakashi could easily make out the venom of hatred in his speech. "I am Uchiha Sasuke. I dislike quite a lot of things, and I don't really like anything. I'm not sure if this is considered a goal or a dream, but I wish to kill someone and revive my clan someday."

Something about the boy seemed odd. Maybe it was the intense amount of hatred he held at such a young age, maybe it was the fact that his sole purpose of living was revenge. It wasn't very healthy. Kakashi sighed. He was going to need all the help he could get handling these three kids. Fortunately, the Hokage had already sent words to Suna. Help would arrive by the next day.

"Alright, that's all for our introductions. Tomorrow, we will begin your official training. Meet me at the forest clearing by six in the morning. Don't be late." Kakashi rubbed his chin. "And it's advised that you skip breakfast. You are dismissed."

With that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto's mouth was hanging open in awe. Sakura rolled her eyes and turned to talk to Sasuke, only to realise that he had already left the room. Annoyed, she left as well.

Naruto sat down alone and smiled to himself. Kakashi sensei seemed like a really cool guy, despite his horrible sense of time. Someday, he would become a jounin too, then he would do something great for the village and become a hero. Everyone would love him!

One day, he would be Hokage.

He closed his eyes and drifted off into a happy daydream about the day he would become Hokage. He would stand before the village and give a speech about how he achieved his dreams. Everyone would be inspired to pursue their dreams and Konoha would reach even greater heights.

Nine years later, Naruto's dream came true. And he did inspire many that day, standing in front of Konoha, speaking of the lost dreams of the lost shinobis.

* * *

Our cloaked figure arrived at Konohagakure around midnight. It had been three years, yet little had changed. The streets were lined with familiar shops, and the ninja could make out the silhouette of the Hokage's office building in the distance.

It was late and most villagers had retired for the night. The village was dark. Street lamps cast eerie shadows on the dusty roads. The ninja strolled down the streets, reliving the memories from three years back. The academy, the taunts, the whispers and finger-pointing, the sneers from the mothers, the sense of never belonging anywhere, the crave for attention, the Hokage's request and the days of living hell that followed...

There was a gasp, and the ninja turned towards the source of the sound. It was a woman. She didn't seem familiar, but she must had been one of the mothers in the crowd, whispering venomous words, shielding her kids and dragging them away.

The woman backed away slowly, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and disapproval. _Why did you come back? We're so much better off with you gone! Konoha doesn't need you._

The memories came flooding back._ You don't belong here. You'll never belong here. You don't belong anywhere. You are a just stranger. Get away from that kid, child! _

It had been three years, but nothing had changed.

* * *

**End of Chapter One**

Author's space

So how do you guys feel about this? It was a spur of the moment idea and it sort of developed into this novella in the making.

Do review and give me some constructive feedback! Don't forget to keep the favourites and follows coming in, too!

Love,

Queen of Peasants


	2. Chapter 2 - Come Back Home

_Thanks to Avatarislifehm, Glittering-Red-Rose and annzzzy for the follows!_

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Come Back Home**

* * *

Sasuke woke up to yet another lonely day. It had been four years since the massacre of his whole clan, and the incident had left a deep hole in his soul. His chest felt hollow, as if he no longer had a beating heart. Not that it mattered much. A heart would not help him get his revenge. It would only slow him down. Being a Uchiha, he had been taught since young to hide all feelings and emotions, and the killing of his clan at the hands of his own brother had further destroyed the spark that once glowed in him.

He washed up and started to prepare breakfast, only to remember Kakashi-sensei's parting words from the previous day. _"It's advised that you skip breakfast."_

Sasuke gulped. To be honest, he was extremely nervous, though he would ever admit that. Kakashi-sensei was well-known for sending his students packing on the first day. Apparently they had to pass some sort of test that no one had ever passed.

Sasuke placed the pans and saucers back to where they came from. He sighed. The day ahead would be a challenging one indeed.

* * *

He arrived at the forest clearing to find Naruto asleep under the shades of a tree. He was snoring loudly and drooling from the corners of his mouth. Definitely not an image fit for a ninja.

That idiot.

Sakura and Kakashi-sensei were no where in sight. The latter was probably caught once again on the path of life, and the first was most likely on her way. It was early, after all. Sasuke took a kunai out of his pouch and twirled it in his hands absent-mindedly. Three years ago, _he _had done the same thing, standing there, twirling his kunai and looking down at him with a warm smile.

_"Onii-chan, you have to teach me that trick!"_

_"Of course. Someday. When you grow bigger and stronger."_

_He_ had laughed and ruffled Sasuke's hair. And then he had placed a gentle hand behind Sasuke's back and guided him out of the training grounds.

That same hand would soon hold the katana that took the lives of his parents. Their parents.

His hands shook, and the kunai dropped to the ground with a clang. He threw his hands around his head and closed his eyes, waiting for the tears that had formed to disappear. He wouldn't cry. A Uchiha wouldn't cry.

When he opened his eyes again, the kunai was gone from the ground. Sasuke blinked. What just happened?

Naruto was still snoring in his sleep. Who could have taken his kunai? He tensed. Now that he was alert, he could feel someone's chakra around. And it wasn't just anyone's chakra. It was strong, pulsing through the air all around him and radiating danger. Sasuke slowly backed into a fighting stance. This was no good.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke hissed when a blob of pink known as Sakura attached herself to his shoulders. When he had finally managed to shake her off, the mysterious chakra was gone.

Where the heck was his kunai, then? He frowned and tried to think. But Sakura had once again grabbed on to him, and Sasuke had to give the matter some rest trying to shake her off.

_He better get his kunai back. It was pretty expensive._

* * *

Kakashi stepped out of his door near noon and stretched, content with his morning reading. He felt sort of guilty towards the three rookie ninjas he had left waiting, but his slow morning routine of sleeping in, a slow breakfast, and a few chapters of his favourite book was too hard to break. The past few months had been extremely comfortable for him, no missions to worry about, no rookies to train, the perfect life of a lazy bachelor.

He hummed happily to himself, and reached into his pocket for the keys to lock the front door.

"Kakashi-sempai. Long time no see."

Kakashi froze. That voice. How could he forget? It almost seemed like yesterday when he had found the mask lying on his front porch step together with a letter for the Hokage. A letter of apology and farewell. He was there when the Hokage read it out to the ANBU leaders.

_"Forgive me for the short term of service, but I have things to do and places to go. Unless urgent situations which require my abilities and only my abilities arise, I will not be coming back."_

No, it couldn't be.

He turned around slowly, afraid of what he would see. And what he saw scared him indeed. There she was, the same eyes, the same smile. She hadn't changed much. But something was different. Very different. She looked so tired. So very, very tired.

Way too tired than a twelve-year old could ever be, even if this twelve-year old was a genius ANBU.

"Are you at a lost of words, Kakashi-sempai?" She smiled. But her eyes - they weren't smiling.

He briefly thought back to the times when she used to call him onii-chan and wondered whether he should call her Ryuuko or Usui. He decided on the prior. These three years had been a mystery. Some had seen her briefly, always at different places with different people. It was rumoured that she was on a journey to find her family. Some said that she had left to strengthen her mysterious kekkei genkai. Kakashi didn't know what to believe. The Ryuuko Usui he knew would never abandon her country for such selfish motives, and her somewhat betrayal had shaken him to the core. But he also didn't want her to feel any more uncomfortable than she already was by being too formal.

"Ryuuko. Welcome back. It's good to see you." He gave her the biggest smile he could manage, careful not to mention the past three years though he was dying to know where she had been.

She relaxed a little. "It's nice to see you, too. The Hokage has informed me that the rookie nins have been teamed up yesterday. I assume your test is today?"

Kakashi nodded, feeling a little sad at the walls that had rose up so suddenly between the two of them. The new-found formality was suffocating.

"It seems that you are already late. Let's head there now, shall we?" Ryuuko mentioned to the main road. Her gestures were cautious and polite. What had happened between them? The girl who used to be a sister to him had long gone, replaced by an emotionless, broken doll. Kakashi's heart ached.

His hands shook as he picked up the keys and locked the door. She tilted her head, the way she always did whenever she notice something wrong about him. But this time, she didn't ask why.

She knew why. But she couldn't help it. The girl inside was tired. She had gone into hiding. Perhaps forever.

They set off down the main road. An awkward silence ensued, and Kakashi decided to take this time to regard the girl next to him. She had grown much taller since her ANBU days, and had also lost a significant amount of baby fats. The cuteness three years ago was replaced by an emerging beauty, and Kakashi wondered for a moment if she could be a distraction to his two male ninjas. He quickly dismissed the idea though. Naruto was obsessed over Sakura. And Sasuke didn't seem extremely interested in females at the moment. Hell, maybe he was never interested in the female gender, maybe he had a secret crush on Naruto.

Kakashi shook his head in horror. Where was his mind going? He turned his gaze back to Ryuuko.

Her hair was so much longer now, cascading down to the small of her back in wavy curls. It used to be a bob, and she would complain about sweaty strands sticking to her neck during missions. She was such an adorable kid and he missed ruffling her dark hair and lifting her up to his shoulders. Not like he could do that any more. At her age it would probably be considered sexual harassment. They weren't related by blood after all.

She had changed the way she dressed, too. Gone was the standard ANBU attire, and in its place a long black cloak. The buttons were left loose and Kakashi could glimpse the dark mesh and bandages underneath. He also noted with slight horror the strong resemblance between her cloak and the ones donned by the Akatsuki. It was pretty much the same, just without the red clouds.

Again, he thought about the influence she had been exposed to the last three years. He had not been there to shield her from the harsh world and he wanted to punch himself hard for that. He had not been there when she needed him most, though she would never admit that she needs anyone.

"Sempai, we have reached the training grounds."

Kakashi blinked. Naruto and Sasuke were rolling around the ground, beating the crap out of each other. He faintly heard one of them shout something about a kunai. Sakura looked on from under a tree, too horrified to stop them.

What a bunch of idiots.

Kakashi turned to Ryuuko and smiled. He was going to need all the help he could get. And when she surprised him by smiling back - a real smile, he couldn't help but feel like they were a team again.

After three long years, she has found her way back home.

* * *

**END OF CHAPTER 2**

Author's Space

I'm super sorry for the long wait and the slightly short update! Interesting bits coming up soon. :) Do review! Let me know if you like this story! More reviews equal to more frequent updates. I promise!

Love,

Queen of Peasants.


	3. Chapter 3 - My Name is Ryuuko Usui

Thanks to Kenzie605, kanna-yamamoto, B.A. Serenity and Sassi15 for the follow! Also thanks to B.A. Serenity for the reviews! Oh my god I was so happy to read them :')

I'm really sorry for this late update, my dear readers. But this is a pretty important chapter. And I've edited this fifteen times. Hope you like it!

* * *

**Chapter 3 - My Name is Ryuuko Usui**

* * *

_Dear Naruto,_

_I would be gone by the time you read this. To another world or to another place, I do not know. But I do know that there is a lot of things between us that has not been said. I need to let them out._

_When I first met you, I hated you guts. You were the obstacle between me and my future. I had to go back to Konoha for you. I had to give up my search for my family just for you. And you were just a nobody. A silly blonde boy with nothing but a monster inside his body. And I had to stick by you all the time because I was the only thing that could prevent that monster from becoming you. __It was annoying. Very. _

_Like I always say, I'm a free agent. I dislike being confined to one country, and I hate being confined to one person. _

_But you were good to me, so very good to me even though I was so very undeserving. It confused me at first, the way my shell was breaking apart piece by piece. Slowly at first, then all at once. You started to figure out my secrets by then. I expected you to push me away. But you didn't. You continued to be good to me. You showed me the love no one other than Kakashi has ever bothered to show me, and I decided to not push you away the way I did with everyone else. You were like a baby brother. So cute, so reckless. I've grown to love taking care of you._

_I'm even positive that Kurama likes me. _

_Here comes the hard part. Naruto, you're like a brother to me. I would kill anyone that dares to harm a hair on you. But what I feel for Sasuke is different from what I feel towards you. I know I said I'll never join the rank of his fan girls. And hey, I didn't. I'm pretty sure even you didn't notice what went on between Sasuke and I. There wasn't much. But there was something._

_I need to get him back. This guilt is eating me inside out._

_Please ask Hokage-sama to forgive me for breaking the deal yet again. I might come back in a few days, maybe a few years, maybe never. I don't know. Remember what I told you about criminals? How they were brave enough to go down the paths their hearts tell them to and how that's very respectable? I still hold true to that belief. Forgive me if I ever go down that path. My heart has been whispering very loudly._

_I just hope that we would still be fighting for the same side the next time we meet. Having to fight you would be the death of me, I swear. _

_Take care of yourself. Take care of Team 7 too. And Kakashi. God, that Kakashi. Remind him to eat breakfast. And hide his porn._

_Goodbye._

_Ryuuko Usui_

His hands shook. Ryuuko's letter fluttered to the ground like a broken butterfly and landed in a muddy puddle. The ink began to smudge, bit by bit, turning the neat rows of kanji into ugly, black patches.

Naruto sank to his knees and screamed. First Sasuke, now Ryuuko. His true friends were disappearing fast. It's back to where it was now, isn't it? Loneliness, cared for by no one.

Inside his heart, the old scars ripped open.

Kurama howled.

* * *

**Around a Year Ago**

Naruto was having a very pleasant dream about a ramen feast. He was at an awesome looking dining hall with the longest table he had ever seen. Ramen of different varieties and flavours stretched before him, steaming hot and smelling delicious. This has got to be the best dream ever.

He had just dug into the nearest bowl when he felt a pair of eyes on him. A pair of very angry eyes. Startled, he looked up. Standing before him and looking very pissed was none other than Sasuke Uchiha, his mortal enemy.

Naruto was very annoyed. What right did Uchiha have to be there? He already stole all the ladies. Now he's gonna steal the ramen too. Tossing his bowl aside, he threw an angry punch at Uchiha.

Something didn't feel right when his fist connected with Uchiha's chin. It was just a dream right? But Uchiha felt so real. Naruto poked his cheek and felt a hard glare pierce into his skull. Damn, even that glare was so real.

And then he woke up. Sasuke was staring down at him with a very hostile look on his face, very real indeed. Naruto gasped and tried to pull himself away from the fuming raven-haired boy. But Sasuke was faster. Soon the boys were a blur of black and orange rolling around the ground, shouting obscenities and occasionally grunting in pain.

Sakura was very annoyed. She had no idea what to do with the boys. Trying to separate them would seem very futile at the moment. And Sasuke-kun! Idiot Naruto was hurting her Sasuke-kun! She was horrified.

The boys stopped beating the hell out of each other all of a sudden. Sakura looked up to see Kakashi-sensei standing in the middle of the forest clearing. Finally! There was a girl beside him. A newcomer to the team? Would she be in the way of winning Sasuke-kun's heart? Sakura tilted her head and regarded the girl. No. Nothing much. The girl was such a plain and mousy little thing. Pink would always better than the boring ebony colour of the girl's mane. Her eyes were nothing much too. There were so many girls around with brown eyes. Sakura was very proud of her big green eyes. They have gotten her quite a fair bit of compliments.

Little did she know that their sensei's presence was not the reason the boys stopped their brawl. Naruto and Sasuke both felt something when Kakashi-sensei walked into the clearing with the girl. For Naruto, it was a sudden calming sensation, spreading over him and soothing every single nerve in his body, filling him with so much energy that his entire being felt recharged and brand new. He gaped at the pleasant tingle that was spreading through him, surprised that he has never felt this way before.

It was not half as wondrous for Sasuke though. An ominous sense of doom spread through him as an all too familiar chakra filled the air, crackling with power and sneering at his weaknesses. He was suddenly very angry. It was the same chakra that he had sensed when his kunai disappeared. It had to be her. That girl, standing beside his sensei and looking so very smug. He wanted to punch her hard, punch the smile off her face.

Ryuuko noticed the significant change of expressions on the boys' faces. The blonde boy must be the jinchuuriki then. She clenched her fists and allowed more chakra to spread into the surrounding environment, amused by the look of bliss on the blonde's face. The dark-haired boy was looking more and more murderous though. She recognised him. Or rather, she recognised the family crest at the back of his shirt. Sasuke Uchiha. The one boy that survived the Uchiha Massacre.

_Itachi's little brother. _

Ryuuko narrowed her eyes. She's had a few run-ins with the Uchiha senior over the years and none of them were very pleasant. He was a good senpai when she was in her junior years at the academy. He was kind to her, the new girl way younger than all the other students, the new girl with too strong a chakra source to control, the new girl who could destroy with a snap of her pinkie. They feared her. He didn't.

But he changed. People change. She didn't expect him to change that much.

_Enough to almost kill her without batting an eyelid._

She shook her head, urging the unpleasant memories to fade away. Kakashi had called for the young nins to assemble by his side. She turned her attention to them instead. Sasuke and the pink-haired girl were tall and strong, the perfect build for a typical Konoha ninja. The blonde boy was not as mighty in size though. He was hardly taller than her, and she was already petite for her age.

He was different. The one that didn't fit in. Just like her.

Kakashi placed a large, warm hand on her shoulder. "Hey guys, I hope you didn't take breakfast. This is Ryuuko. She would be joining our team as my assistant from today onwards."

The three rookies gaped. The girl before them was hardly as tall as Naruto. She couldn't be much older than them. Did Kakashi just introduce her as their assistant sensei?

Ryuuko saw the shock and disbelief on the three young faces. She sighed. It would be hard to gain their respect. Kakashi gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, his way of saying everything would be alright.

"Ryuuko here is an ANBU-level jounin. She may be your age, but that doesn't mean you can disrespect her. Ryuuko's abilities surpass most ninja her age. She earned her rank fair and square. I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other. Ryuuko, why don't you introduce yourself?"

Sasuke snorted when Kakashi mentioned that the new girl's abilities surpassed her peers. She sure didn't look like it. Just another lucky so-called prodigy born with a tad more chakra than the average ninja. And she probably stole his kunai.

The snort didn't go unnoticed by Ryuuko. Her confidence level was dropping fast by the second. Even Kakashi's approving looks seemed to have lost their calming prowess. After a few deep breaths, she finaly mustered the courage to speak. _Come on Ryuuko, you are here to help them!_

"My name is Ryuuko Usui. Came to Konoha when I was six, graduated from the academy after three months and passed my chunin exam four months later." She exhaled. "I became a jounin some time later and Hokage-sama invited me to join the ANBU squad immediately after my Jounin exam. Kakashi-sempai was the leader of my team during my ANBU days. That's probably why I'm here. Nice to meet you guys."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. They both knew that was not why she was there. The boy was the reason she was there. But he was still clueless about his identity and the Hokage had banned anyone from mentioning it, hoping that it would be better to cope with when the boy finds out by himself.

"You!" Ryuuko turned her attention back to the rookies and found Naruto's finger in her face. "What's so special about you that made you a Jounin in such a short time while we had to spend so many years at the academy?"

The blonde ninja was glaring at her with apparent jealousy. Ryuuko opened her mouth but no words would come out. Naruto touched a sore spot there. She never wanted any of this to happen and she would give anything to live like an ordinary ninja - spend four years in the academy, get assigned to a team and go on simple missions. The ANBU tattoo on her left arm itched. She knew she didn't deserve it. She never worked that hard at the academy. She was just different. Born to be special.

Kakashi felt the girl tense and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Ryuuko was one of the top scorers at the academy. She also won all her matches during her Chunin Exam. Now Naruto, I'll be very happy if you can achieve similar feats."

The blonde ninja pouted but kept his mouth shut. Satisfied, Kakashi went on to explain the rules of the test the rookie nins are going to take. The bell test. The last known team to pass the bell test was the great Sannin. Ryuuko smirked. Maybe if the team fails Hokage-sama would let her go.

"Ryuuko-sensei!" The blonde boy was calling her again. What was his name? Nasoto? Wait, it was Naruto. Yes, that Naruto in Jiraiya-sama's book.

"You don't have to call me sensei. Just Ryuuko will do."

"Ryuuko-chan! How is your power like? What type of jutsu do you use?"

Ryuuko shuddered. This was not something she wanted to discuss. "You don't have to know. Well, you'll see it later. During the test."

Kakashi took over again, going through the details of the test. She zoned out a bit, looking at the three rookies before her and doing her own character profiling. The hardship she faced as a child taught her to judge people, and Ryuuko was very good at it. This way she would know who to stick close to and who to avoid; who to let live and who to kill.

It was the only way to avoid getting hurt. Her young heart has been torn too many times to be whole again.

There was a commotion, and Ryuuko looked up just in time to see Naruto being thrown out of the forest clearing by Kakashi's One Thousand Year of Pain. Idiots, she thought with a smile. Just then, Kakashi pushed a bell into her palm and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Sakura and Sasuke charged towards her, and Ryuuko barely had time to channel her chakra into the ground below and disappear into the earth before two kunai clashed where her body once was.

The test had begun.

* * *

**Author's space**

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews and the follows! Much love 3 Do give me some feedback! I need to know how the story's going. Looking for a beta too so inbox me if you're interested!**

**Next chapter will be the bell test. Look out for it. Lots of interesting things happening. You will also find out some crucial details about Ryuuko's background.**

**xx, Queen of Peasants**


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